Best of the travel year 2016

2016 has been quite an amazing travel year for us. We went to so many different places, that we sometimes lost track of where we are and when it’s the right time to be hungry 😉

If you’re planning your travel year 2017, here’s a compass of destinations, that might help you choose! Welcome to our Top 15 travel destinations of the travel year 2016.

Top 15 Travel Destinations of our travel year 2016

Cappadocia, Turkey

Marrakech, Morocco

Bahamas

Ireland

Corsica, France

Baku, Azerbaijan

Los Angeles, California

Algarve, Portugal

Palm Springs, California

Cinque Terre, Italy

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Ithaca, New York State

Barcelona, Spain

East Tyrol, Austria

Copenhagen, Denmark

Cappadocia, Turkey

Why we loved it so much? Picturesque landscapes, hot air balloon rides and the food. Olives, stuffed wine leaves, local cheese. Definitely the highlight of our travel year 2016! Let’s hope the situation in Turkey stabilises soon.

Bahamas

Why we loved it so much? We got to explore the “Out Islands”, which are off the beaten path when it comes to the Bahamas. The rule: If you sail to a beach, that’s not empty, you just keep on sailing to the next one. There’s plenty for everyone!

Ireland (& Northern Ireland)

Why we loved it so much?Rugged coastlines, plenty of sheep, natural wonders like the basalt columns at Giant’s Causeway (yes, we know that’s Northern Ireland). The island is a wonderland for nature lovers and photographers!

Corsica, France

Why we loved it so much?We got surprised by the different facets of the small island. The beaches look like exotic places from a Seychelles catalogue and after a short drive you’ll discover mountain villages that couldn’t get any more picturesque and scenic. Oh and Baguettes, figs, cheese, everything is “delicieuxe”.

Baku, Azerbaijan

Why we loved it so much?We never planned on traveling here, so we had no expectations. And then we discovered a city in transformation mode. It’s a clash of everything – Tiffany’s posters in giant sizes are interrupted by old Soviet cars passing by. The people are lovely and so proud of their country – well, and Zaha Hadid built a masterpiece here with the “Heydar Aliev center”.

Los Angeles, California

Why we loved it so much?Needless to say that California embodies a lot of the American Dream, which you can already sense upon arrival. Where in the world do you see people walking their dogs barefoot, while carrying a flat white in their manicured hands… and all of this in a city of millions!? Think sunrises at the beach with surfers flocking by, drinking iced coffees and tons of different neighbourhoods with all sorts of different vibes.

Algarve, Portugal

Why we loved it so much?In September it’s already low season in this part of Portugal, although the weather is still fabulous. In one day you can enjoy turquoise water at a sandy beach and later on watch the sunset at a rocky cliff while surfers catch the last waves nearby. And then there’s the architecture (ceramic tiles) and the glorious Portuguese light.

Palm Springs, California

Why we loved it so much?This was on our bucket list for a while and we finally got to cross it off during a one day trip. We decided: Planning isn’t necessary to discover this enclave in the backcountry of California. It’s a place for nature and architecture lovers alike. Think vintage cars, 50s and 60s architecture with a background of thousands of palm trees and red coloured mountains. Paradise for a photographer!

Cinque Terre, Italy

Why we loved it so much?In October the Cinque Terre are less overcrowded than during the summer months. So if you go, make sure to time it well. These five coastal villages are well visited for a good reason, their beauty is unique! Nestled in the cliffs alongside the Ligurian coastline you’ll find what’s probably the most amazing meeting between the sea and human settlements in all of Italy. No more words needed!

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Why we loved it so much?Ok, so for Tenerife there’s just two things you need to know: It’s one of the best places in the world to watch whales and also one of the best places in the world to watch the stars. Anything else? Yes: Never mind the horrible Spanish architecture that destroyed the touristy coastal areas – just rent a car or a boat and get away from it all.

Ithaca, New York State

Why we loved it so much?Well, this is special – because we have family here. But imagine Ithaca like this: Hometown of many students from all over the world (because of the famous university) it speaks multiple languages. It’s a place that feels so open-minded, that you wouldn’t file it as a small town at a lake somewhere in what is the greenest place I’ve seen in New York State. Think Amish people, organic farmer’s markets, boat rides on the lake and then there’s Firelight Camps, where you can roast homemade S’Mores on the open fire before sleeping in a luxurious tent all equipped with wifi, comfy beds and linens.

Barcelona, Spain

Why we loved it so much?We learned that October isn’t a beach month in Barcelona anymore – it was too cold to swim. But the city at the Mediterranean has more to offer than it’s beach. Especially Churros con Dulce de Leche (fried dough sticks filled with caramel). What else is there to love: The gothic quarter with it’s stunning architecture and of course everything the unbelievable genius Gaudí left behind.

East Tyrol, Austria

Why we loved it so much?After so many beaches it was time for at least one trip to the mountains. And East Tyrol has plenty of them to offer. Plus: It’s remote location within Austria makes it one of the rather undiscovered places by many visitors. Hiking uphill for hours will never be our favourite sports, but the views kind of make it all worth it in the end.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Why we loved it so much?Colorful houses, canals with old sailing yachts, modern city development projects, wind energy, culinary adventures and the smiles of Danish people. All this makes Copenhagen a perfect city for a short weekend visit (preferably during the warmer summer months) and you’ll want to come back after this for sure.

A busy travel year!

This was our complete guide to the Top of the Top from our travel year 2016! There’s a lot of places we couldn’t list here (New York City, Niagara Falls from the Canadian side – quite a disappointment actually, London, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Vorarlberg, Sölden in Tyrol, Munich, Salzburg, Zürich, Lucerne, Graz, Miami, Florida’s West Coast, Braunschweig, Trier, Malmö, Palma de Mallorca, Rome, Savona, Marseille, Innsbruck) – to name some of the other visited places in 2016.

Not that we didn’t like them, but maybe we didn’t have enough time there to really discover enough or they simply didn’t make the cut for the top 15. But rest assured that we will cover every destination we visited here during the upcoming year.

Only now that we write them down, we realise how busy we were this travel year, but we got even bigger plans for our travel year 2017 – so stay tuned here on thetravelblog.at! ❤️